


Broken windows and bleeding ears

by lovestowrite238



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Banshee Lydia Martin, Coyote Malia, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Lydia-centric, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Minor Stiles Stilinski/Malia Tate, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Season/Series 05, Stiles-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 21:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6059584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovestowrite238/pseuds/lovestowrite238
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill-in-the-blanks for 5 x 16 ‘Lie Ability’ and before ‘A Credible Threat.’</p><p>What really happened to Stiles after Lydia woke up. 'You are going to die,' she said. And they all knew it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken windows and bleeding ears

p>‘I’m not paying for the windows.’

Deaton and Scott grinned the strangest grin when Stiles broke the relieved silence that came right after Lydia’s awakening.  He made a smart face, cold sweat pouring down his pale face as Lydia’s mother finally released her daughter and eyed him cautiously. She was embarrassed about what she’d said to him over and over again. And she was ashamed. She had nearly killed her own daughter, she realized, by refusing to listen to Stiles’ warnings and pleads that Lydia had to be taken out of Eichen House.

Slowly she moved away from her daughter who still sat upright on Deaton’s steel table and stepped to the other side of it, first extending her hand carefully and finally gripping Stiles so tight he thought he’d suffocate. Her grip was warm, gentle and caring and he felt her tremble against him. Carefully, almost afraid, he placed his arms around her while she wrapped her own around him.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. She was about Lydia’s height and fitted perfectly into his arms. She had always liked Stiles, even when he was awkward teenager who came into their eyes shyly, caring about Lydia when her daughter didn’t care much about him. Even then she had felt sorry for him, at one point biting her tongue in order not to ask Lydia why she didn’t seem to care.

Slowly but surely though, Natalie realized that Lydia did care. Stiles was much more than a love interest to her. He was her best friend, the one she turned to with questions seeking answers, the one she knew she needed when times were tough. She had told her mother that Stiles was her lifeline, the one she needed to keep her sane.

As she stood in Stiles’ arms, Natalie suddenly realized that her daughter was not what she thought she was. She had had suspicions about Lydia and her strange bunch of friends, and now she had confirmation. Lydia was different than others, probably had been for a long time. It would explain a lot of the situations her daughter had been in. The strange attack of that girl at the police station for one was something Natalie had never been able to explain. And then there was that one time her  daughter had told her in between lines something was terribly wrong with Stiles. She had seemed very worried then, googling on info about possessions and demons whenever she thought her mother wouldn’t see. The way Lydia was around her friends, was special. She know realized that they were all different.

She had seen Scott’s strength, she had noticed the man who seemed to be on fire, the girl who climbed the Eichen House walls. Everything Natalie had always ignored, even when it had been right in front of her, was now very clear. She had heard her daughter’s horrid screams, so much more than a regular person would cry out. Her daughter was – what was she? She needed to find out and learn more about it.

She let go of Stiles, wanting to look into his eyes when she told him once more how grateful she was he had saved Lydia. Not just him, but all of them, she corrected herself. But as she let go, he didn’t look at her but instead shut his eyes. It was then that she noticed the bleeding in both ears. Dry, caked blood stuck to his left cheek, having poured down from his ear. On the right, the blood remained inside his ear but was still visible.

And it had started again.

‘Stiles, you’re bleeding again,’ she heard Scott say, who approached his best friend from the other side, having noticed at the exact same time something was wrong. Stiles’ blood was on Natalie’s shoulder and hair but she didn’t care.

Lydia’s cry rang in Natalie’s ears. It was different this time, quieter but still just has hard to bear. ‘He’s going to die,’ her daughter said in a voice that was so hoarse, she could barely take it in. Then Deaton was there too, rushing forward Stiles at the exact same moment the teenager collapsed.

Without a single word Stiles fell to the ground, going down and down until he lay on the ground next to the examination table. Glass lay scattered all over the floor and he lay on top of it, lying crumbled on his side, his back facing Natalie’s.

‘Stiles!’ Scott was the first to kneel down. Gently he turned his best friend on his back, staring in shock at the blood pouring out of both ears. The pallor of Stiles’ skin was so grey they all thought he had already left them.

Natalie didn’t know what to say or do. It was Deaton who took over. ‘We have to get him to a hospital right _now_.’ Deaton called for an ambulance and then he warned Melissa. She promised to send help immediately.

‘Can’t we take him ourselves?’ Scott asked. ‘Isn’t that faster?’

‘No, I don’t know how serious the damage is,’ Deaton replied, ‘I don’t want to take a risk. How long has he been bleeding like this?’

‘Ever since I screamed in the jeep,’ Lydia whispered quietly. ‘And before that.’

Scott looked up shocked. ‘When?’

‘When Parrish pushed him away.’ Tears slid down Lydia’s face as she let her frail body slide off the table, her feet quivering and weak as she stood unsteadily on the ground. She wore socks and didn’t feel the small glass particles underneath her feet. She wouldn’t have cared anyhow.

‘Lydia, don’t,’ Natalie said, grasping her daughter tight before she could see Stiles’ pale face. But her daughter paid no attention to her. She knelt by Stiles, her hand on his face, just as he had done when she had died.

Lydia knew she had been gone for at least a minute, had felt life slipping away. Until she had heard Stiles’ voice, pleading with her to come back. She could still remember after all this time what he had said that one time, how he would react if she would die. He had wanted her to come back and she did. It was his faith in her, his relentless persistence to save her, that had brought her here.

She had survived, but she knew he would have to struggle for his own life, just like she predicted. He could die.

In the far distance sirens approached rapidly. There were several of them. Vaguely Scott recorded the sound of a sheriff’s vehicle as his attention was fully on Stiles. He listened to Lydia’s gentle voice as she pleased with Stiles. He saw Deaton pacing the room before he rushed to the front door to let medical aid in.

‘Stiles? Stiles, can you hear me?’ Lydia’s voice hadn’t said much in the past few days and it felt like every single world hurt like hell, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t give up now. Not after all they’d been through. ‘Come on, this isn’t the bargain I want. I don’t want my life exchanged for yours. That can’t be the end of it. It doesn’t work that way. I won’t pay for those windows either.’

‘He’ll be fine,’ Scott muttered, but his voice betrayed his fear that it wouldn’t be. ‘He has to be okay. He won’t die, Lydia.’

She wouldn’t reply. As a harbinger of death, she knew that death was at Stiles’ door at this very moment. She half expected to see the Hellhound appear here too, to take Stiles to the Nemeton. Then she realized that he wouldn’t. Stiles wasn’t a supernatural being. He was human. And it was exactly that which would kill him now. He wasn’t able to handle her screams.

This was what she had been so afraid of, what she had tried to tell him. But he hadn’t listened, hadn’t given up on her. He was always the positive one, the one who had an A- and B-plan. The smart one, just like she was. She couldn’t bear the thought he would leave her like this.

She moved up, holding on to her mother. ‘There’s nothing we can do,’ she whispered. ‘Mom, we’re going to lose him.’

‘No, we won’t,’ Natalie said firmly. ‘We can’t and won’t lose hope.’

‘Lydia!’

The door flung open for the third time that evening. It wasn’t the medical services or his father that reached them first. Liam, Mason, Malia and Kira stood in the doorway. And then, to their shock, they weren’t alone. The Chimera’s were there too, including Theo. They had no clue of what was going on, didn’t see Stiles lying on the ground with Scott next to him. All they saw was Lydia standing on both feet. The Banshee was shocked to see their enemies, even though part of her registered the fact some of them had helped her.

‘Get out.’ Lydia moved away from Stiles, her legs barely able to hold her as her fierce eyes stared at Theo and his gang. ‘Get the hell out of here. You have no right to be here!’ She half walked, half stumbled towards them, her first clenched together as she pushed past her friends to pummel Theo’s chest.

The first Chimera let her hit him, her strength too weak to do much damage. He didn’t say a single word as he allowed her to hit him over and over again.

‘It’s all your fault,’ she cried out, ‘you did this to me. You forced me into Eichen House. Get the hell out!’

Malia gently pulled her back, turning her around and holding her tight as Lydia burst into tears. The girl’s long, sticky hair had blood and mistletoe in it. Malia’s hand gently touched the area where she had had a hole drilled in her skull.

‘You’re alright,’ Malia remarked surprised, almost shocked. ‘Lydia, you’re back!’

Lydia didn’t reply as cried, clinging onto Malia, staring into the brown eyes of her friend.

‘Stiles is dying,’ she muttered. ‘We’re losing him, Malia. He’s going to die!’

Pale Malia let go of her, only now realizing that Stiles lay unmoving on the ground. ‘No,’ she whispered, moving away from Lydia. She didn’t dare to touch Stiles. She still loved him, with every inch of her body physically aching when she came to realize they might lose him. Even if they had sort of broken up, she still cared and always would. Life without Stiles seemed useless.

Theo moved closer towards Stiles who hadn’t moved a single inch since he had fallen down, his face worried. Scott looked at him, wondering if he played a game or was genuine. ‘What happened to him?’

No one replied.

‘What happened?’ Theo repeated, almost shouting.

‘Haemorrhage,’ Deaton said slowly, stepping forward towards the Chimera. ‘And you know why, don’t you, Theo?’

Their enemy didn’t say a single word until Scott stepped forward, his eyes red with fury. He resisted the urge to grab the Chimera tight, focusing his full attention on his human best friend. Theo cleared his throat, obviously surprised by Stiles’ unconsciousness.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen,’ he muttered.

‘What wasn’t?’ Scott’s sharp voice made the Chimera cringe.

‘He should have been able to resist the scream. That’s what Parrish did, when he threw himself around her. He protected you from her. Once the Hellhound surrounds the Banshee, the effects should have lasted for at least an hour. I counted on that being enough.’

‘Enough for what?’ Deaton stepped forward, grabbing the Chimera’s arm. ‘You counted on the Mistletoe, didn’t you?’

‘And Stiles’ smartness and persistence.’ Theo gazed at Lydia. ‘Valack wasn’t supposed to drill that hole in your head. I had sabotaged most equipment. He found some more. He was supposed to place the mask on your face. I had warned him to leave you alone but he kept on saying you would be amplified to a level nobody has ever reached so far. And he was right, I’m afraid.’

‘At the expense of Stiles.’ Lydia stares at the unmoving body.

Theo sighs. ‘Damn it.’

‘Why do you care what happens to Stiles?’ Malia asks sharply. ‘You hate him. You betrayed him. You lied about Donovan. You are responsible for all of this, just like Lydia says. Tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you right here and now?’

‘You need me.’ Theo doesn’t smile. He states a fact. Then he points at Stiles. ‘And I can save his life.’

‘Fuck you.’ Malia’s angry voice spits the words.

Theo smirks. ‘You wish.’ Then he points at the door. The sound of the ambulance is nearby, help is near. ‘If you let Stiles go with that ambulance, he’ll die. He doesn’t need a hospital. To save him, you need me.’

‘Never,’ Malia retorts icy cold, but Scott stares at the Chimera, knowing he speaks the truth.

‘If they take him to the hospital, they’ll wheel him into surgery and drill a hole in his skull to release the pressure on it. He won’t survive that operation. He’ll be a vegetable for the rest of his life.’ Theo moved towards Stiles. ‘I know what we need to know, but you need to trust me.’

‘You’ll kill him,’ Kira says softly.

‘If I had wanted him dead, I would have let him die in that burning jeep,’ Theo points out. ‘I’ve had plenty of opportunity to kill him, to kill _all_ of you. Yet you are all still here.’ Scott turns a scarlet red when he eyes Theo but doesn’t say a single word. ‘Believe me, I don’t want him dead. I want him alive. We need him. We need  _all_ of you.’

Scott realizes all too well that Theo only thinks about survival. But it also means that he will do exactly what needs to be done.

A sharp knock on the door alerts them all.

‘What’s it going to be?’ Theo asks, his gaze aimed at the door. ‘Shall I go? Or are you going to trust me?’

The group stares at Scott who slowly nods. ‘We go with Theo,’ he whispers.

‘No!’ Malia cries out. ‘Stiles will die!’

‘He’ll die if he goes to the hospital too,’ Deaton says. ‘Theo is right. This is caused by a supernatural event. A surgeon cannot go inside his head without killing him. The risk is too great. Stiles needs much more than that.’

Another sharp knock, followed by Sheriff Stilinski’s voice, startles them.

‘Deaton, open the door!’ he shouts, almost desperate.

‘Quickly, help me,’ Theo asks, moving towards Stiles. ‘They can’t see him like this.’

Liam makes the decision for them all. He steps towards Stiles and gently lifts him partially up. Then Scott pushes Theo away and lifts Stiles on the other side. Together they carry him to Deaton’s private quarters, placing him on his couch. Malia is with them, her hand not leaving Stiles’s. Lydia is right behind them, helped by Kira who sits her down on another couch, helping her with a blanket. Lydia’s eyes are focused on Stiles whose ears are still bleeding. Scott refuses to leave the room while Liam goes back with the vet.

Deaton shuts the door between his practice and private quarters and inhales fresh air deeply. Shaking Natalie opens the door, every single sense inside of her screaming to blurt out the truth. But the paramedics before her have no clue about what is going on and she has to tell herself over and over again that this is not a normal situation.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Deaton starts explaining as the paramedics eye the room cautiously, searching for a victim. ‘There was an accident, the windows of this room all exploded and we were all cut by glass. I was really concerned my guests were harmed and called you in a panic. But as you can see we are all fine. I’m very, very sorry.’

‘You said someone collapsed and it was serious.’

‘That was me.’ Hayden steps forward. ‘I’m sorry, I had a panic attack, could hardly breathe. And now I feel much better.’

Sheriff Stilinski stares at Deaton, who stares back at him with a warning gaze in his eyes. Instantly the sheriff gets it, his entire body trembling at once. His son is not in the room, neither is Lydia. He turns towards the medics.

‘It looks like everything’s under control here. Why don’t you guys drive back to the hospital. I’ll make a note and report of this.’

The medics don’t say another word and leave them without asking any more questions. As soon as the door shuts, Stilinski turns angrily towards Theo.

‘What the hell did you do to my son?’

‘Follow me.’ Deaton grabs the sheriff by his arm and takes him to the other room where nothing has changed. Scott is staring at Stiles’ unmoving body.

‘Oh my god.’ Stilinski holds a hand before his mouth. ‘Stiles, what –‘ Tears fill his eyes as he stares at his son, realizing immediately this is very, very bad. ‘What happened?’

‘His brain is bleeding,’ Theo remarks behind him. Stilinski turns around and grabs the Chimera by the collar of his shirt.

‘You killed my son? You finally succeeded, didn’t you?’

‘No,’ Theo says. ‘But I’ll be the one who’s going to save him.’ The Chimera pulls loose and looks at Stiles. He looks even paler, his hands trembling now as his body struggles to stay alive.

‘You’d better  do it fast. His heartbeat is slowing down rapidly,’ Scott whispers softly. ‘Tell us what we need to do.’

‘We need to take him to the Nemeton.’

‘What? No!’ Lydia almost cries out. ‘Never!’

Theo’s sharp gaze looks around, his voice icy cold. ‘Stiles may not be a supernatural creature, but his fate has always been linked to the Nemeton, ever since the sacrifice the three of you made for your parents.’ He looks at the Sheriff who flushes deeply.

‘It all started there,’ Theo continues. ‘You opened the gates to the supernatural, allowed creatures to enter Beacon Hills, drawn to the Nemeton. And to you.’

‘That place caused the Nogitsune to enter his mind,’ Scott remarks. ‘And you wanted Void Stiles back. Who says you won’t do exactly that when we do what you say?’

‘The Nogitsune is gone, locked in his wooden cage forever,’ Theo retorts sharply. ‘I wanted Stiles in my pack, I admit that. But not as the Nogitsune. If I had wanted that, I would have gone after the box. I wanted the anger inside of him, his strength and mostly his smarts. After all, he is the brains of the operations, isn’t he? Someone I could use for my purposes. Stiles will always figure out a way to save his friends, despite the barriers others throw at him.’ Theo’s gaze glides through the room. ‘I wanted him in my pack to keep me safe.’

Shocked Scott stares at him, realizing Theo had finally admitted some truths. He had been very eager to gain Stiles’ trust ever since he came to Beacon Hills. At times he had almost pleaded for the friendship, had tried to get him to believe in him. But Stiles only believed in those he trusted and loved. Theo wasn’t amongst them.

‘Swear you won’t bring the Void back if we take him to the Nemeton,’ Lydia pleaded. ‘Swear it!’

‘I swear.’ Theo stares in her eyes. ‘You know I’m telling you the truth, Scott. You can hear it by my heartbeat. I have accepted your little pack as being unbreakable. Stiles will never leave you. His will is too strong to break.’

‘Then do it.’ Scott looks him in the eye. ‘Save Stiles.’

‘And if you don’t, I swear to god I’ll run a bullet through your head myself,’ Stilinski hisses coolly, his words representing all of their fears.

Gently Scott and Liam lift Stiles off the couch and bring him to the jeep. Gently they lift him into the backseat, supported by Malia.

‘Why not my car?’ Stilinski asks.

‘If he dies before we reach the Nemeton, I’d prefer he’d do it in the jeep,’ Scott whispers hoarsely.

Stilinski cringes and then nods. Natalie wants Lydia to stay with her and be taken care of, but the girl refuses. ‘They need me to find the Nemeton,’ she says softly. ‘I know exactly where it is, mom.’

Natalie nods. ‘I’ll take you.’

‘No, I’m going with Stiles.’ Lydia stops suddenly, staring at Malia who is sitting next to Stiles. The two girls share a glance. Then Lydia sits in the front of the jeep, next to Scott who starts the engine and looks at her.

Stilinski takes Liam, Mason and Theo in his car, followed by Natalie, Deaton and Kira. The other Chimera’s scatter, knowing they are not welcome.

The three cars head out quickly, the jeep leading the way. Using Lydia’s instructions they head towards the woods. She doesn’t even need to think about it. She knows exactly what to do. They drive as deep in the woods as they can. Stiles lies deadly quiet against Malia, his eyes shut while he slowly gasps for breaths.

‘Stiles, hold on,’ Malia whispers, stroking his face. ‘Come on.’

Lydia feels incredibly guilty until Scott suddenly grabs her hand and squeezes it tight. ‘It wasn’t you,’ he says firmly. ‘Okay?’

‘Okay.’

In silence they continue, until Lydia makes him stop the jeep. Immediately he shuts down the engine and jumps out of the car. Stilinski is immediately by their side and lifts his son out of the car, aided by Scott.

Together they hold onto Stiles, whose feet drag on the forest floor. His heartbeat is so soft Scott gasps. ‘We have to go faster.’

The group makes their way to the Nemeton quickly after that, Theo and Lydia leading the way. And then they see it, the ancient tree stump, where dozens of bodies lay before but are now gone. Everyone feels the urgency, no one dares to say a single word.

‘Place him on top of the Nemeton,’ Theo orders.

They do exactly what he says, all too scared that they’re too late and all of this was pointless.

Stiles lies unmoving on top of the tree stump, his face directed towards the skies. Theo places his hand on top of his forehead, touching the cold skin. The bleeding in his ears has stopped, which scares Scott even more.

Theo shuts his eyes for a second. Then he turns and leaves Stiles lying on the Nemeton.

‘Now what?’ Stilinski asks trembling, fearing they made a huge mistake. He feels Natalie’s arm around him and clings onto her for support. His eyes won’t leave his son’s body as Stiles lies quietly on top of the stump.

‘Now we let the Nemeton do its work,’ Theo says. ‘This tree still contains a sense of Stiles’ being. It will heal him, if it remember.’

‘It’s a tree,’ Natalie mumbles.

‘Not just a tree,’ Lydia says, sinking down on the soft ground, her eyes on Stiles. ‘Never just a tree.’

The others follow Lydia’s gesture and sink down, eyes staring at Stiles who lies quietly on the wood, still having moved.

‘Do you still feel his –?’ Malia doesn’t dare to ask the question.

‘- his death is near.’ Then Lydia suddenly smiles. ‘But it’s also further away.’

Malia stares at her but she doesn’t explain further.

For hours they sit there, in the strangest early morning of their lives. After all they’ve been through, after the past night at Eichen House, this seems unreal. Lydia finally falls asleep with her head on her mother’s lap. Malia leans into Deaton, Kira holds onto Scott who refuses to sleep. Mason, Liam and Hayden fall asleep, resting relatively peacefully. Theo doesn’t take his eyes off Stiles. Scott doesn’t take his eyes off Theo _and_ Stiles. Stilinski refuses to go further away than five yards from his son’s body.

And then finally, at the exact same moment Lydia opens her eyes again, the sun breaks through the trees and engulfs Stiles’ form. At that moment, Stiles’ right arm and hand move. Lydia frees herself from her mother’s grip and stands up on quivering legs, staring at the movement. She thinks she’s dreaming, only to realize that she isn’t.

She moves forward with a cry, half stumbling until she’s on top of the Nemeton. She grasps Stiles’ hand as he opens his eyes and stares at her, smiling so sudden and so heartily that it nearly breaks her heart of pure happiness. Malia moves next to her, towards Stiles’ other side.

‘Stiles,’ Lydia just says. ‘You came back.’

He smiles brightly. ‘No,’ he says. ‘ _You_ did.’

He’s surrounded then by the people he loves and those that love him. Stilinski cries openly, grasping his son tight. Scott embraces him, his friends hug him. His father and friends gently help him to sit up. His hair sticks out in all places, he’s exhausted and still looks so pale they believe he might collapse right there and then, but he’s awake, alert and fine. He’s surrounded by love, something he never thought he would have ever again. He had lost them all and now they were back where they belonged. They were a pack once more, stronger and tighter than ever.

Lydia holds his one hand, Malia holds the other. He smiles at both of them, realizing he loves them both so much. Then he stares at Theo who stands at a short distance and he just knows that the Chimera saved his life. He doesn’t know how or why, but Theo came through, just like he did in the tunnels. Perhaps it’s the beginning of redemption. Or perhaps he’ll become the bastard he was once more.

Stiles slowly nods.

Theo nods back, before he turns around and leaves them alone.

The End

 

 


End file.
